Our Mission Statement

We are currently working on a new Mission Statement for First UMC. Below are thoughts from our recent session where we discussed the mission of the church.

From The Book of Discipline:

THE MISSION AND MINISTRY OF THE CHURCH

from ¶ 120. The Mission—The mission of the Church is to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.

from ¶ 121. Rationale for Our Mission—The mission of the Church is to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world by proclaiming the good news of God’s grace and by exemplifying Jesus’ command to love God and neighbor, thus seeking the fulfillment of God’s reign and realm in the world. The fulfillment of God’s reign and realm in the world is the vision Scripture holds before us. The United Methodist Church affirms that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, the Savior of the world, and the Lord of all. As we make disciples, we respect persons of all religious faiths and we defend religious freedom for all persons. Jesus’ words in Matthew provide the Church with our mission: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you” (28:19-20), and “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. . . . And you shall love your neighbor as yourself” (22:37, 39).

from ¶ 122. The Process for Carrying Out Our Mission—We make disciples as we:

—proclaim the gospel, seek, welcome and gather persons into the body of Christ;

—lead persons to commit their lives to God through baptism by water and the spirit and profession of faith in Jesus Christ;

—nurture persons in Christian living through worship, the sacraments, spiritual disciplines, and other means of grace, such as Wesley’s Christian conferencing;

—send persons into the world to live lovingly and justly as servants of Christ by healing the sick, feeding the hungry, caring for the stranger, freeing the oppressed, being and becoming a compassionate, caring presence, and working to develop social structures that are consistent with the gospel; and

—continue the mission of seeking, welcoming and gathering persons into the community of the body of Christ.

THE LOCAL CHURCH

from ¶ 201. Definition of a Local Church —The local church provides the most significant arena through which disciple-making occurs. It is a community of true believers under the Lordship of Christ. It is the redemptive fellowship in which the Word of God is preached by persons divinely called and the sacraments are duly administered according to Christ’s own appointment. Under the discipline of the Holy Spirit, the church exists for the maintenance of worship, the edification of believers, and the redemption of the world.

from ¶ 202.The Function of the Local Church —…The function of the local church, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, is to help people to accept and confess Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and to live their daily lives in light of their relationship with God.

Words and phrases that emerged from our conversation:

nourishment: strengthen, build, sustain, grow

do no harm, do good, love God

what is our mission?

what point do we want to make?

how do we want this statement to be used?

We need a brief, dynamic mission statement that reflects where who we are and where want to be as congregation in years to come.

As individuals we should do whatever we can, whenever we can, however we can, wherever we are to be a true reflection of the love that God has for the world.

As a church family some of the most important things we do include:

-sustaining & strengthening our relationship with the Lord, which will serve to strengthen the church as a whole as look to the future.

-make disciples of ourselves and serve the world.

-all that we do is in the light of the lord.

Our mission as individuals and as a congregation is to seek justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with the Lord.

"Feed my lambs, tend my sheep."

To _______; To __________; To _____________

Make disciples. Serve the world.

Church family-- nourishment-- sustain, strengthen, build for the future

Spread the message

Let our light shine

outreach

guidance

" . . . in His name."

In the light of the Lord

To give of ourselves so that others may know Jesus

For from such a life of love for God will flow the goodness and love of God to the world.